c/backyard-structures

Water pooling under my shed after a big storm, what did I do wrong?

Last month we got hit with that wild thunderstorm here in Ohio, and the next morning I found about two inches of standing water right under the back edge of my 10x12 shed. I built that thing on paver base thinking I was being clever, but I never pitched the ground away from the structure. I spent a whole Saturday digging a shallow trench and filling it with gravel, then added a downspout extension from the roof gutter that was dumping right beside the foundation. It helped a little, but I'm still seeing damp spots after a heavy rain. Did I need to go deeper with the trench, or is the real issue that I didn't compact the soil before I laid the pavers? Has anyone else dealt with this kind of drainage setup and actually fixed it for good?

I finally tried a DIY gravel base vs a concrete pad for my 10x12 shed

Last spring I put up a 10x12 shed in my backyard in Dayton. I went back and forth between pouring a small concrete pad or just leveling gravel. I went with gravel to save money, about $180 total. After one winter, the shed shifted about 2 inches on the corners and the door sticks now. I should have just spent the $400 on concrete, has anyone else dealt with shifting after a gravel base?

Warning: that $38 waterproofing spray ruined my shed paint job in 3 weeks

I coated my new pine shed last month with cheap silicone spray from the hardware store and the paint peeled off in sheets after two rainstorms, anyone else had a sealer eat through their finish instead of protecting it?

Paying $40 for a shed ramp kit was dumb, built one for $12 in an hour

I got tired of dragging my mower out of the shed over that little lip. Almost bought one of those metal ramp kits at the big box store, $40. Decided to just grab some 2x6 boards from the scrap pile, cut them at an angle with my circular saw, and screwed them to the floor lip. Works perfect, even with the heavy mower. The kit was probably nicer looking but who cares. Has anyone else rigged up a simple fix instead of buying the fancy version?

Vent: My cheap shed door hinge gave out after 3 years of daily abuse

The latch on my 6x8 Tuff Shed finally snapped off last Thursday when I was hauling out the mower, and the door swung open into the rain gutter. I patched it with a $12 heavy-duty gate hinge from Ace Hardware, but now the alignment is off by half an inch on the bottom corner. Anyone else dealt with sagging doors on store-bought sheds, or should I just replace the whole frame before winter hits?

Saw a clever lean-to at a farm stand in Ohio, now I'm copying it

Stopped at a little farm stand off Route 30 last weekend and they had this lean-to built against their shed that just made sense. The roof sloped right into a rain barrel with a gutter system made from PVC pipe. They said it cost them maybe $80 in lumber and an afternoon. I've been overthinking my own shed addition for months, but that simple design clicked. Anyone else spot a backyard structure that looked basic but was actually genius?

Overheard a kid ask why my shed has a porch

I was out front watering and this kid walking by pointed at my 10x12 shed and asked his dad why it has a porch. I mean, I put that little 3 foot overhang on back in 2019 mostly for shade while I'm tinkering, but it got me thinking how we don't really build that kind of extra anymore. Anyone else add a feature to their structure that's more about hanging out than storage?

The neighbor who made me rethink my whole shed plan

I spent 3 months researching DIY shed kits, had the lumber list ready and everything, but then Bob from two doors down came over while I was measuring the slope last Tuesday and asked why I wasn't just building it up on 4x4 skids instead of a full concrete foundation. He showed me how his dad's shed had sat on pressure-treated beams for 30 years without shifting, and he even helped me level the ground with a simple laser level he had in his truck. Now I'm about 400 bucks under budget and wondering if I'm overthinking the frost heave thing, anyone else skip the concrete slab and regret it or not?

Took down the old wooden shed, went with a steel carport instead

After 14 years of patching rotted boards every spring, I finally tore down that 10x12 shed my dad and I built in 2009. Paid $1,850 for a 12x20 steel carport from a local supplier in Tulsa, and honestly the rain noise took some getting used to. Has anyone else switched from wood to metal and regretted the echo, or is it just me?

Changed my mind on cedar siding after one wet spring in Ohio

I spent three weekends last fall putting up cedar siding on my 10x12 shed. Everyone said cedar lasts forever and looks great. I figured I was done for good. Then this April we got rain for like two weeks straight in Columbus. The bottom two rows started curling and one board split right at the corner. Turns out I nailed them too tight and didn't leave enough gap. Some neighbor walked by and pointed out the boards were touching each other. I thought tight was better. Now I have to pull half of it off and redo it with stainless ringshank nails and proper spacing. What did you guys use for siding that actually held up in wet climates, or am I just cursed with bad luck?

Forgot my tarp clips at Lowe's, neighbor's trick fixed my shed roof

I always assumed screwed-in furring strips were the only way to hold a tarp down, but watching my neighbor use those cheap spring clamps with paracord during a storm last Tuesday made me swap my whole setup in 20 minutes. Has anyone else ditched traditional fasteners for something they saw a neighbor wing?

Four years of building sheds before I noticed my roof pitch was upside down

Went to add gutters last weekend and my neighbor asked why the water pools at the front. I'd been framing every lean-to with the low side facing the door, all 11 of them. Anyone else have a basic mistake that took way too long to catch?

Pressure treated vs cedar for a pergola, wish I compared sooner

My cedar pergola outside of Asheville is rotting at the posts after just 3 seasons, meanwhile my neighbor's pressure treated one looks fine with zero maintenance... Has anyone else had cedar fail this fast in a damp climate?

Rant: Prefab metal shed vs. building my own with wood was no contest

I spent $800 on a metal kit from Home Depot and three weekends fighting with warped panels and missing bolts. My neighbor framed his own 8x12 with lumber from a local mill for the same money and it's rock solid. Anyone else regret going the cheap route on a shed kit?

Rant: My old shed got a facelift that actually made me use it again

Honestly, my shed was just a dark hole where I threw junk for like 5 years. Last month I slapped some plywood on the floor, added two cheap solar lights from Home Depot, and painted the walls white. Now it's actually a workspace where I can fix stuff instead of just a place to lose my shovel. Has anyone else done a cheap makeover that totally changed how you use your shed?

My neighbor's offhand comment about his shed foundation changed how I look at everything now

I was over at my neighbor Dave's place last weekend, he's been building this little storage shed in his backyard for like 6 months now. Real slow and steady guy. I asked him why he was digging so deep for the foundation, like 2 feet down, and he just said 'if you don't go past the frost line you're gonna have a crooked shed by spring.' That hit me different because I just threw mine on some concrete blocks last year and now I'm wondering if I'm gonna have problems. Has anyone else just skipped the deep foundation and regretted it?

Used that cheap metal roof sealant on my shed. Big mistake.

Paid $30 for a tube of that silicone based stuff at the big box store. First heavy rain and water was pouring right through the cracks I thought I sealed. What brand actually holds up on a corrugated roof?

Last week I built a pergola in the rain and it was a total disaster

I decided to put up a 12x16 cedar pergola in my backyard last Thursday even though the forecast said thunderstorms. By the time I got the first post set, the ground turned into mud and my level kept sliding. I spent four hours wrestling with wet lumber and almost dropped a beam on my neighbor's fence. Has anyone else tried tackling a big backyard project in bad weather and regretted it?

Hot take: pouring a concrete slab without rebar is fine for small sheds

I built a 8x10 shed in my backyard last spring in Tulsa and skipped the rebar to save money. It's been through two freeze-thaw cycles and not a single crack yet. Anyone else go without reinforcement and regret it later?

So tired of seeing people bolt pergola brackets into the concrete wrong

I helped my neighbor fix his pergola last weekend and every single bracket was just slapped into the slab with no anchor bolts, just regular tapcons. Now the whole thing wobbles like crazy when the wind picks up. How hard is it to look up the right installation method before you build something that could fall on someone?

My neighbor's comment about my shed foundation made me rethink everything

I was digging post holes for a new 10x12 shed last weekend and my neighbor Bob comes over and asks why I'm bothering with concrete footings. He said he just sets his shed on gravel and calls it good. I told him I followed the county code for frost depth and he just laughed and walked away. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I overengineered this thing or if Bob's shed is gonna be crooked in 2 years. Anyone else get second-guessed by a neighbor mid-project?

Wasted $400 on a prefab shed kit from Home Depot

Tbh I thought I was saving money by assembling it myself but the instructions were garbage and half the panels didn't line up. Anyone else deal with a shed kit that was basically a scam?

Shoutout to metal shed anchors after my old one blew away in a storm

I used to just stake my 8x10 shed with those cheap plastic anchors from the hardware store. Then a microburst hit my yard in Greenville last June and flipped the whole thing onto my neighbor's fence. I switched to these 18 inch screw-in ground anchors that you twist in with a rod. Cost me about 60 bucks total for a set of four but it hasn't budged since. Has anyone else had a shed go airborne on them?

Had a near disaster with my shed roof felt after a windy night in February

I finally chose between a shed and a carport for my lawn equipment

After months of going back and forth, I had to pick between a $600 shed kit and a $400 carport at my place in Austin. I went with the carport because I figured it would be easier to move stuff in and out for the mower and trimmer. But then a storm last Tuesday blew the tarp right off and soaked my edger. Now I'm wishing I just got the shed, has anyone else regretted a carport for storage?